Fixed fees, wherever the work allows
Company formations, wills and trusts, lease reviews and handbooks are usually quoted as one fee, in writing, before we begin. If the scope changes, you hear it from us first.
Attorneys at law · Halford City
Clear counsel for what you build, own and pass on.
Business, employment, real estate and estate-planning law for growing companies and the people who run them.
- The first call
- Thirty minutes with an attorney, at no charge
- Fees
- Fixed wherever the work allows, always in writing
- Who we advise
- Companies of ten to five hundred people, and individuals
- Office
- 1 Exchange Place, 9th Floor
Halford City, New York
§ 1
Practice areas
Four practices and six kinds of work, in one firm that knows where they meet: the company you run, the people you employ, the property you hold and the plan for what comes after.
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01Business
Formation & governance
The right entity from the start, operating and shareholder agreements that settle the hard questions early, and the board housekeeping that keeps a growing company tidy.
Ask about this work: formation and governance -
02Business
Contracts & commercial deals
Customer, supplier and services agreements written to be read. We negotiate the terms that carry real risk, and tell you plainly which ones don’t.
Ask about this work: contracts and commercial deals -
03Employment
Employment & workplace
Hiring, handbooks, classification, leave and separations for employers, and clear advice for people weighing an offer or a severance agreement.
Ask about this work: employment and workplace -
04Real estate
Real estate & leasing
Buying, selling and leasing offices, shops and homes: title and survey review, closings, and lease terms you can live with for the next ten years.
Ask about this work: real estate and leasing -
05Estate planning
Wills, trusts & estate plans
Wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and health-care proxies, written so that the people you name can understand them.
Ask about this work: wills, trusts and estate plans -
06Estate planning
Succession & administration
Planning who steps in when an owner steps back, and guiding executors and trustees through probate one clear step at a time.
Ask about this work: succession and administration
§ 2
How we work
You should know what a matter will cost before it costs you anything. We say how we’ll bill at the first call, and we put it in writing.
Hourly, when the scope can’t be known
Negotiations and disputes depend on the other side. We bill those by the hour, give you an estimate at the start, itemize every monthly bill, and call you before we pass the estimate.
One engagement letter, two pages
Who is doing the work, what it covers, how it is billed and how to end it. Nothing starts until you have read it and signed it.
What the first call covers
Thirty minutes with an attorney, by phone or at the office. There is no charge and no obligation.
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A conflict check. We confirm we don’t act for anyone on the other side before you tell us the details.
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Your situation, in your words. What happened, what you want, and when it needs to happen.
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A straight answer on fit. Whether we are the right firm and, if not, the kind of lawyer you need.
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The fee basis, in writing. Fixed or hourly, with a quote or an estimate in your inbox within two business days.
How typical matters are billed
| Matter | Basis |
|---|---|
| Company formation and operating agreement | Fixed fee |
| Commercial lease review | Fixed fee |
| Employee handbook and policy review | Fixed fee |
| Will, power of attorney and health-care proxy | Fixed fee |
| Contract negotiation | Hourly, estimated |
| Workplace investigation | Hourly, estimated |
| Estate administration | Fixed by stage |
Every matter is different. The basis for yours is confirmed in your engagement letter before any work begins.
§ 3
Our attorneys
Five lawyers, each of whom you can call directly. The attorney who takes your first call stays with your matter from the engagement letter to the last signature.
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Helen Marchetti
Managing partner
Business & governance
Advises owner-led companies from formation through investment and sale, and acts as outside general counsel to several mid-sized firms.
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Adrian Vale
Founding partner
Real estate
Handles purchases, sales and commercial leases across the region, and writes leases both sides can read in an afternoon.
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Grace Oyelaran
Partner
Employment
Counsels employers on hiring, policies and difficult separations, and advises individuals reviewing an offer or severance terms.
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Samuel Whitcombe
Counsel
Estate planning
Prepares wills, trusts and powers of attorney, often for business owners, and guides executors and trustees through probate.
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Lena Ishikawa
Associate
Business & employment
Drafts and negotiates commercial contracts, and supports the employment team on handbooks and workplace investigations.
§ 4
Recent matters
Anonymized sample descriptions of the kind of work we do. Every matter turns on its own facts, and past matters don’t predict future results.
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A second-generation ownership transition
A family-owned distribution company of about 120 people reorganized its ownership ahead of a handover between generations: a new operating agreement, buy-sell terms with a clear funding plan, and a board that now meets on a calendar.
Scope
- Operating agreement
- Buy-sell terms
- Board governance
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Hiring in two new states at once
A regional engineering consultancy hiring its first people outside New York needed offer letters, leave policies and a handbook that work in three states. We rewrote them as one set, with a short supplement for each state.
Scope
- Handbook rewrite
- Offer letter templates
- Manager briefing
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A first building for a design studio
A design studio bought the building it had rented for years: title and survey review, zoning questions answered before the contract was signed, and a closing timed around the end of its existing lease.
Scope
- Purchase contract
- Title and survey
- Closing
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One plan that includes the business
An owner with property in two states wanted one plan instead of two: a revocable trust, updated beneficiary designations, and written instructions for who runs the company if she can’t.
Scope
- Revocable trust
- Powers of attorney
- Succession memo
§ 5
Insights
Short notes for owners, managers and families. General information, not legal advice for your situation.
What a buy-sell agreement should settle before anyone needs it
Price, timing and funding are easy to agree on while nobody is leaving. Five questions to answer while the partners still agree.
6 minute read
Hiring your first employee in another state
Payroll registration, leave rules and what your handbook can no longer say. A checklist for the month before the start date.
5 minute read
Will, trust or both? A plain guide for business owners
A will speaks after you die; a trust can work while you are alive. How to choose, and why many owners end up with both.
7 minute read
§ 6
Request a consultation
Tell us a little about the matter. An attorney will reply within one business day to arrange your first call.
Please don’t include confidential details yet. We’ll ask for them after the conflict check.
Thank you, there.
Your request is with us. An attorney will reply to your email within one business day to arrange your first call.
- Reference
- MV-26-0000
- Matter
- Not sure yet
- For
- A company
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§ 7
The office
On the ninth floor of 1 Exchange Place, across from Chancery Green and a four-minute walk from Court Street station.
Hours
- Monday to Thursday
- 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
- Friday
- 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
- Weekends
- By appointment
Getting here
Court Street station is four minutes on foot. Visitor parking is at the Wharf Street garage, and we validate tickets at reception.
Access
Step-free entrance on Exchange Place, an elevator to the ninth floor, and a hearing loop in our main meeting room.